Foot-support.



BEST AVAIIABLE C A. D. FRENCH.

FOOT SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1910.

Patented Sept 20,1910.

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ALGY DEEN FRENCH, F SHELTON, CONNECTICUT.

FOOT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

970,910. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Application filed January 12, 1910. Serial No. 537,644.

To all whom at may concern: curved line across the plate and terminates Be it known that I, ALGY DEEN FRENCH, at the inner edge of the plate at a point fara citizen of the United States, and a resident ther forward than at the outer edge so that of Shelton, in the county of Fairfield and the rear or heel portion Z) extends farther so State of Connecticut, have made certain new forward on the inside of the plate than on and useful Improvements in Foot-Supports, the outside, forming an extension thereof.

of which the following is a specification. This extension of the rear or heel portion is This invention relates to improvements in slightly depressed as shown at (Z. foot supports, and more particularly to a By forming the plate with a flat heel por- 65 support adapted to be inserted in an ordition and providing the heel portion with an nary boot or shoe for supporting the foot so extension on its inner side, and at its front that the weight of the body will come in its with an abutment which conforms to the natural position. front of the heel of the foot, the weight of Due to the use of improperly constructed the body is properly supported by the heel 70 shoes, various forms of foot malformations of the foot and longitudinal and lateral often arise, among the commonest of which movement of the heel prevented. is a slight rolling of the foot inwardly alOng The front portion a of the plate forms a a longitudinal axis, which lowers the arch rest for the bottom of the foot between the and produces what is commonly known as heel and ball of the foot, and is provided 75 2 flat-foot or broken arch. Various forms with an upwardly projecting extension or of arch supports have been provided which wing e on its inner side. This wing conseek to prevent this lowering of the arch of forms to the inner side of the instep or the foot, but in so doing they transfer the arched part of the foot and its rear edge is weight of the body to the arch of the foot. inclined downwardly and forwardly so that 8O This brings the strain and weight to an unwhen applied to a shoe or boot it will lit the natural position and tends to weaken the forward end of the counter thereof on the muscles of the foot. inner side and form an extension of said The object of my invention is to bring the counter. The extension or wing forms a 5 weight of the body on the heel of the foot brace or support for the inner side of the 85 l where it properly belongs and to prevent foot from the heel to the ball of the foot.

the foot from turning and thereby prevent- A foot support constructed as above deing the arch from lowering, rather than posiscribed permits the weight of the body to be timely supporting the arch as commonly supported by the heel and effectually predone, which latter takes the weight away vents the inward rotation of the arch of the 90 from the heel. foot, connnonly known as flat-foot or Reference is to be had to the .accompanybroken-down arch. ing drawing forming a part of this specifi- In Fig. 2 the wing or extension 6 is omitcation, in which similar characters of referted, the construction otherwise is the same.

1 ence indicate corresponding parts in all of This form of support will be very desirable 95 the views. in certain cases.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im- If desired, the support may be provided provement; Fig. 2 is 'a plan view with the with a covering of leather or other suitable wing omitted; Fig. 3 is a" longitudinal secmaterial 7' as shown in Fig. 4;, and in order tion on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perto afford ventilation and prevent undue per- 100 spective view of a modification; Fig. 5 is" a spiration the plate and its covering may be section on line 5-5 of Fi 2; and Fig. 6 is provided with registering openings 9 as is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2. also shown in said figure.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the draw- It is to be understood that the support can ing, A represents a plate of any suitable he changed or modified to suit special cases 105 material, preferably metal, having a flat of deformed or abnormal feet without defront portion a and a flat rear or heel porparting from the spirit of the invention. tion I). The plate A at the junction of the Having thus described my invention, what portions a and b is provided with an offset I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pator shoulder 0 which has the effect of slightly out is: 110

depressing the rear or heel portion b. The 1. As a new article of manufacture a foot offset or shoulder 0 extends on a compound support, consisting of a plate having a flat front portion to extend under the arch of the foot and a flat rear or heel portion ofl'set downwardly from the front portion on a compound curved line terminating at the inner edge of the plate atia point farther forward than at the outer edge, forming an extension for the heel portion, which extension is slightly depressed below the remainder of the heel port-ion, whereby an abutment conforming to the front of the heel is formed at the front of the flat heel portion of the plate, the front portion of the plate being provided at its inner edge with a wing having its rear edge inclined downwardly and forwardly, said wing forming a brace for the inner side of the foot from the heel to the ball of the foot.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a foot support comprising a plate having a flat front portion to extend under the arch of the foot and a flat rear or heel portion offset downwardly from the front portion on a compound curved line terminating at the inner edge of the plate at a point farther forward than at the outer edge, forming an extension for the heel portion, said extension being slightly depressed below the remainder of the heel portion, whereby an abutment conforming to the front of the heel is formed at the front of the flat heel portion of the plate.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a foot support, comprising a plate having a substantially fiat front portion to extend under the arch of the foot, and a substantially flat heel portion offset downwardly from the front portion on a compound curved line, forming a depressed heel portion having at its front portion a shoulder or abutment conforming to the front of the heel.

ALGY DEEN FRENCH.

Vitnesses:

DAVID A. NICHOLS, STEPHEN T. PALMER. 

